Feature Cheese - Grey Owl

Grey Owl is a surface-ripened goat's milk cheese produced by Fromagerie Le Detour in Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Quebec. The name not only refers to the colour of the cheese, it also honours the legend of Archibald Belaney, one of Canada's first conservationists, also known as Grey Owl. He lived for a number of years on the edge of Lake Témiscouata, influencing the region near Fromagerie Le Détour with his beliefs of upholding harmony between nature and man and preserving the Canadian wilderness.

This visually tempting goat milk cheese has a beautiful contrast between the bright white of a goat’s milk cheese and the dark grey ash coating. On the outside, the vegetal ash endows the cheese with a wrinkly, dark, slate-coloured and piquant smelling edible rind. The interior paste is firm, crumbly and dense, softening at the edge of the rind. As it melts in your mouth, the smooth and silky texture of the cheese offers pleasing sharp and lemony flavours that go perfectly well with Pinot Gris, a dry Riesling or a nice crisp dry Sauvignon Blanc. Makes an especially refined match with smoked salmon.